Using public facilities.

Watch out for broken off toilet seats... or possibly there was never one there at all. Found commonly in public restrooms.

But it's not so different from the average American interstate rest stop.

One difference, I don't think I've seen toilet seat covers in Europe. Maybe it's just an American phenomenon and/or phobia. Bring yo' own stack if you gotta stay sanitary while here.

Also commonly included: insightful graffiti, witty poetry, simple vulgarity, or phone numbers. In this case, a simple how-to for uninformed users or newbies.

It was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie.

Here we have an example of the smaller water tank commonly found around here, on toilets that have tanks behind the seat that is.

Also, instead of a flusher handle like on most American toilets we have a large, plastic button on the top.

Also, garbage cans next to the toilet are common so you don't flush everything. I'll spare you the details.

How do you pronounce that?

Ask the French. Anyways, it's commonly found in most homes either next to or opposite the toilet.

What do you use it for, you ask? Cleanin' shit. Literally. I can't explain this one to you. You gotta figure it out for yourself.

Just make sure you read the instructions first before peeing in it or attempting to drink from it.

Clean hands.

Let's talk about how to use the sink for a minute. Sometimes it's just like every other day.

But sometimes there's a foot pedal protruding below the piping that you need to step on like an accelerator in a car. Don't stomp or it my spray everywhere. Just shift into first and easy down on the pedal.

Sometimes there's a rubber-looking button on the floor that you need to stand on. You can usually stomp here.

Either way there's probably no hot or cold control. That'd involved two pedals and more shifting. Instead, we just get cold.

Pop a squat.

All the toilets at my school are like this. Just a hole in the ground with some nifty foot grips... so you don't slip, we hope.

Not even the teachers' lavatories are spared any luxury. Each is contained within its own glorious stall with a wall light. One another note, frequently the bathroom light switch is located on the outside of the bathroom. No exception here. And often, they don't work at my school.

Nothing like going in a hole in the dark. At least it flushes powerfully, but still it's only a small step above a porta-potty because odors tend to linger in here.

Can you imagine always having to squat? But apparently this is the way it was meant to be.

If this really interests you, please, I beg you, click on the picture to read more about it.

The basics.

We'll start with Italia since that is where I am currently living, but as I travel throughout the summer this documentation will expand.

Here is the toilet in my bathroom. Pretty standard, pretty straightforward. But unlike most American toilets, there is no tank directly behind the seat. Often they are located in the wall, at about eye level (with or without the flusher), or even sometimes way above your head. And the ones located behind the seat are usually much thinner than the standard American tank.

So how do you stop it when the water keeps running? Can't jiggle the handle here.

I dunno, it's never happened. But my toilet sure flushes a lot more powerfully than any in America. It's like one of those super-industrial strength flushes often found in public restrooms. Also the bowl never fills with water, which is why all European toilets, public or private, always have a brush by their side.

With this one you just push the button and wheeee!!!! Off we go.